Caterham Line

Caterham Line
Overview
Type	Commuter rail, Suburban rail
System	National Rail
Status	Operational
Locale	Greater London Surrey
Termini	London Bridge London Victoria Caterham
Stations	Kenley, Whyteleafe, Whyteleafe South & Caterham
Ridership	2006-07 = 1.657 million 2007-08 = 1.843 million 2008-09 = 1.808 million 2009-10 = 1.799 million 2010-11 = 1.857 million 2011-12 = 1.936 million
Operation
Opened	5 August 1856
Owner	Network Rail
Operator(s)	Southern
Rolling stock	Class 377 "Electrostar" Class 455
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge

Caterham Line
Legend 0m 00ch London Bridge London Victoria Purley North Junction 15m 13ch Purley 15m 23ch Chipstead Line Junction Tattenham Corner Line Brighton Main Line 16m 29ch Kenley 17m 58ch Whyteleafe 18m 18ch Whyteleafe South ?m ?c Halliloo Platform private station 1856-1899 19m 70ch Caterham

A 1905 Railway Clearing House map of the Caterham Line and surrounding lines.

The Caterham Line runs between Purley in South London and Caterham in Surrey. The line operates as a commuter service to London.

History

The Caterham branch was opened as the Caterham Railway on 5 August 1856, from a junction with the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR). The opening had been delayed because of a quarrel between the LB&SCR and the South Eastern Railway (SER), in whose territory the line was deemed to be. When the Caterham Railway went bankrupt in 1859, the SER took it over.

A 4 EPB on the Southern Region standing at Caterham railway station in 1984.

Infrastructure

The line is double-track and electrified at 750 V DC using third rail. Immediately south of the junction station at Purley the Tattenham Corner Line leaves, and the railway follows the valley opposite Riddlesdown and the Oxted Line, which it parallels almost to Caterham. The branch has a line speed of 60 mph.

Services

Train services on the line are operated by Southern, and run to London Bridge and London Victoria. During peak hours trains to London are faster, but combine (morning and also three afternoon workings) or divide (mostly evenings but also some morning services) at Purley, the other section being for the Tattenham Corner Line.

A typical off peak service from London Bridge calls at New Cross Gate, Brockley, Honor Oak Park, Forest Hill, Sydenham, Norwood Junction, East Croydon, South Croydon, Purley Oaks, Purley, Kenley, Whyteleafe, Whyteleafe South and Caterham.

Services are provided by a mixture of Class 455 and Class 377 EMUs.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Caterham Line.

• History of the branch line

Further reading

• Spence, Jeoffry (1986). The Caterham Railway. The Oakwood Press. ISBN 978-0-85361-325-1. 
• Moody, G.T. (1979). Southern Electric 1909-1979. Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0924-4. 
• Glover, John (2001). Southern Electric. Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-2807-9. 

Railway lines in London
Main Lines	Primary High Speed 1 East Coast Main Line Great Eastern Main Line Great Western Main Line Midland Main Line West Coast Main Line Secondary Chatham Main Line Chiltern Main Line Crossrail (under construction) South Eastern Main Line South Western Main Line West Anglia Main Line Thameslink London, Tilbury and Southend Line
Branch	Regional Aylesbury Line Bexleyheath Line Caterham Line Dartford Loop Line Epsom Downs Branch Hampton Court Branch Line Hertford Loop Line Lea Valley Lines North Kent Line Oxted Line Shepperton Branch Line Sutton and Mole Valley Lines Tattenham Corner Line Watford DC Line Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Line Intra-London Acton–Northolt Line Bromley North Line Catford Loop Line Chessington Branch Line Chingford Branch Line Crystal Palace Line Dudding Hill Line East London Line Gospel Oak to Barking Line Greenford Branch Line Greenwich Line Hayes Line Hounslow Loop Line Kingston Loop Line North London Line Northern City Line Nunhead to Lewisham Link Romford to Upminster Line South London Line West London Line
Disused	Addiscombe Line City Widened Lines Croxley Green Line Crystal Palace High Level Branch Line Greenwich Park Branch Line North London Line (City Branch) Palace Gates Line Staines & West Drayton Line Uxbridge (Vine Street) Branch Line Watford to Rickmansworth Line West Croydon to Wimbledon Line Woodside & Sanderstead Line
London Transport portal

Railway lines in the South East
Primary	International High Speed 1 (Ashford • Ebbsfleet) National Great Western Main Line (Slough • Maidenhead • Reading • Didcot Parkway) West Coast Main Line (Watford Junction • Milton Keynes Central)
Secondary	Berks/Bucks/Oxon to London Aylesbury Line Chiltern Main Line Waterloo to Reading Line (and in Surrey) Windsor & Eton Riverside Line (and in Surrey) Crossrail (under construction) (and past London to Essex) Kent to London Bexleyheath Line Chatham Main Line Dartford Loop Line Kent Coast Line Maidstone Line Medway Valley Line North Kent Line Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) Line Sheerness Line South Eastern Main Line Tonbridge Line (and in Surrey) Surrey/Sussex/Hants to London Ascot to Guildford Line Alton Line Arun Valley Line Brighton Main Line Caterham Line Fareham Line Hampton Court Branch Line Hastings Line (and in Kent) Chertsey Branch Line Epsom Downs Branch New Guildford Line Oxted Line (and in Kent) Portsmouth Direct Line Shepperton Branch Line South Western Main Line Sutton and Mole Valley Lines Tattenham Corner Line Thameslink (and past London to Beds/Herts) West of England Main Line Others Cherwell Valley Line Cotswold Line Eastleigh to Romsey Line East Coastway Line (inc Marshlink Line) Henley Branch Line Island Line Lymington Branch Line Marlow Branch Line Marston Vale Line North Downs Line Oxford to Bicester Line Princes Risborough to Aylesbury Line Reading to Taunton Line West Coastway Line Wessex Main Line Slough to Windsor & Eton Line Reading to Basingstoke Line Seaford Branch Line
Heritage	Bluebell Railway Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway Cholsey & Wallingford Railway East Kent Railway Isle of Wight Steam Railway Kent and East Sussex Railway Lavender Line Spa Valley Railway Watercress Line
Non-passenger/ Defunct	Hundred of Hoo Railway Oxfordshire Ironstone Railway